095 How Much Joy, How Much Sorrow

Chen Yage could not help smiling when she saw Qingmei talking to herself. "I’m afraid getting in is easy, but getting out will be hard. Let’s pray the palace is finished soon."

"Then you’re not going to keep looking for your Brother Bai?"

"Look for him, of course. No matter what, I must find him."

Her gaze burned with resolve. She would find Li Bai, even if it took her a lifetime.

"Move it. What are you dawdling for?" Just as Chen Yage and Qingmei were chatting, a squad of soldiers came over. One of them carried a whip. Qingmei pouted and said unhappily, "Why are you acting so fierce? If you’ve got the nerve, go act fierce at those nobles instead."

"Hey, you little brat. You dare talk back, do you? You’re asking for a beating." Hearing Qingmei’s words, the soldier clenched the whip in his hand viciously, as if he might lash her at any moment.

"Don’t make trouble." Chen Yage tugged at Qingmei’s sleeve.

At that moment, Du Fu also came over. Seeing Chen Yage’s calm, detached smile, and then the soldiers’ ferocious faces, he said, "We came here of our own accord to help build the palace, leaving our womenfolk at home. These women have braved hardship to come here willingly to work on the palace. And this is how you treat them? Do you have mothers and sisters at home? Is this how you treat your own sisters?"

The soldier hesitated for a moment, but still put on a show of righteousness. "Being sent to build the palace is the emperor’s boundless favor. You should feel honored."

"If the emperor’s favor is so boundless, why don’t you go and receive it yourself?" Du Fu shot back.

He took Chen Yage by the hand and detoured around the soldier, sitting down on the grass at the side. Qingmei followed and sat beside Du Fu.

"Brother Du, you’re amazing," Qingmei said admiringly, her eyes full of infatuation. Unfortunately, Du Fu only regarded her as a younger sister.

"Still no news of him?" Du Fu ignored Qingmei’s words and looked at Chen Yage, who was staring into space.

"Could he still be in Luoyang? We’ve searched almost everywhere among our group. If he isn’t here, then he might be in Luoyang," Du Fu guessed. He felt rather guilty about this matter. If it had not been for him, Chen Yage would never have left Li Bai, and she would certainly not have lost him.

"But even if Brother Bai is in Luoyang now, I still can’t get out. If he really is here, wouldn’t I miss him again?" Chen Yage paused. "No matter what, I will find him."

"Someone’s escaped! Someone’s escaped! Hurry, someone come!"

Chen Yage and Du Fu rose at the cry and walked toward the shouting. Soldiers rushed over in that direction, while others stayed behind with drawn blades, forbidding anyone to move even half a step.

Chen Yage and Du Fu were stopped in place by the crossed swords. Du Fu suddenly let out a long sigh. Chen Yage looked at him in confusion.

Du Fu said, "Do you know of the Epang Palace?"

How could she not know? That had been one of the essays she absolutely had to memorize for the college entrance exam. Chen Yage had poured all her effort into it, but in the end she still failed to recite it. Fortunately, perhaps because she had burned enough incense in her time, it never came up on the exam.

"Are you saying Zhongnan Hall will end up like the Epang Palace, reduced to ashes and scattered to the wind?" Chen Yage spoke bluntly.

Du Fu had always known it, but if such words were heard by the soldiers, it would surely invite unnecessary trouble.

"When dynasties rise, the people suffer. When dynasties fall, the people suffer," Chen Yage went on. "For the people, the ruler is the ruler. For draining wealth and harming the people, the ruler is also the ruler. The difference is that one who wins the people’s hearts wins the realm, while one who loses them loses the realm."

Du Fu looked at Chen Yage in surprise, never imagining that she could have such a profound understanding of the affairs of the world and the fate of all people. He could not help but sigh, "If you were a man, you would surely be able to stand among the eminent and discuss the great affairs of state together."

"But I only care for a moment’s joy. I’m not very interested in matters of state. You, on the other hand, will one day stand in the halls of power and speak on the affairs of the realm. When that time comes, don’t forget to do more for the people."

"Wanwan!" Chen Yage suddenly cried out.

Wasn’t the person those soldiers were dragging along Yu Huan? But how could Yu Huan be here? Chen Yage could not make sense of it. She no longer cared about the soldiers’ obstruction and rushed straight over.

Yu Huan’s hands were tied behind her back, and the soldiers had shoved her to the ground.

"Wanwan, are you all right?" Chen Yage hurried to help her up. Yu Huan had been beaten badly by the soldiers, her face bruised, her nose swollen, blood still seeping from the corner of her mouth.

"Yage." Yu Huan turned her face away. "Do I look very pitiful like this?"

"How can you still be worrying about that at a time like this? How did you end up here?" Chen Yage reached out to touch the wounds on Yu Huan’s face, and her hatred for these soldiers only deepened.

"I only hope that Dujuan can escape," Yu Huan said in a lowered voice.

"Dujuan? How could Dujuan be here? Tell me what on earth is going on." Chen Yage shook Yu Huan hard. A soldier beside them shoved Chen Yage away and dragged Yu Huan off.

Chen Yage chased after them, but Du Fu held her back. Qingmei also said, "Don’t act on impulse, Yage. I’ll go see where they’re taking her, and then we can figure out what to do."

Midsummer had arrived, though the weather was not especially hot. Or perhaps it was because it was afternoon. The glow of the setting sun spilled across the land. Ancient trees towered green and lush, rising from the earth like a pillar holding up the sky, sheltering both heaven and ground beneath it.

Du Fu and Chen Yage had joined of their own will. The soldiers had seen that they had behaved themselves along the way and shown no sign of fleeing, so they were somewhat more lenient with them. Du Fu and Chen Yage walked together, while Qingmei went to investigate Yu Huan’s whereabouts and had still not returned.

The soldiers ordered them to continue traveling through the night. Later, an imperial decree arrived, saying that Princess Yuzhen had considered the hardships of the people and that they could rest at the foot of the mountain for one night before ascending the next day. So they set up camp at the mountain’s base.

Chen Yage leaned against Du Fu as they looked up at the stars overhead. A smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of her lips. Suddenly, there came a burst of beating and cursing. Curious, Chen Yage and Du Fu followed the sound.

A woman with disheveled hair was lying on the ground. Her clothes were in tatters, and torn fabric lay scattered nearby. Around her stood a group of lecherous soldiers. One of the leaders had already taken off his outer garment and was left only in his white underclothes.

Chen Yage and Du Fu lay low in the grass, watching in silence, not daring to make the slightest sound.

The woman on the ground had curled herself into a ball. Chen Yage could only see her back, but she could guess that the woman must be terrified beyond measure. She wanted to go out and help her, but Du Fu stopped her.

"Didn’t you see that woman is about to be violated? Let go of me!" Chen Yage shouted angrily.

Du Fu still would not let go. "We’ve already caused enough trouble lately. We can’t afford to cause any more. Don’t you still want to find your Brother Bai? If you do, then behave yourself."

"If the woman lying there were me right now, would you also stand by and watch the show from the side?"